A bit of a celebrity in the small world of journalism web development, Adrian Holovaty spoke today to Steven Duke’s Introduction to 21st Century Media class. As the editor of editorial innovations at washingtonpost.com, Holovaty most recently created the “Faces of the Fallen” project (with the help of Washington Post reporters), the U.S. Congress votes database, and in his spare time, the chicagocrime.org database of crimes reported in the city. And having graduated from University of Missouri – Columbia’s journalism school in 2001, he was also by far the youngest and, judging by the unusually enthusiastic applause, most well-received speaker invited to the class yet.
Holovaty began his lecture with what he considered a controversial statement: “Journalism right now is broken.” He was visibly frustrated as he described journalists who “don’t understand” the potential of using automated web programs to make raw data accessible and interesting to readers. Just like any reporter, Holovaty says, he compiles information and presents it to readers in ways that are more engaging than pure spreadsheets.
But Holovaty appeared nonchalant when it came time, during the Q&A, to respond to the familiar argument that his work doesn’t constitute actual “journalism”: “If it’s something that’s interesting and cool to people, then who cares if it’s journalism?”